


Shaken Not Stirred

by nomadicwolf



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:55:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24394624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nomadicwolf/pseuds/nomadicwolf
Summary: Bond AU.  Bucky is sent to investigate the Hydra criminal organization.  His objective is to discover who is behind the organization aside from the front man, Brock Rumlow.  His job would be a lot easier if he wasn't so enamored by Rumlow's bedmate, Steve.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Brock Rumlow
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32
Collections: Marvel Reverse Big Bang 2019





	Shaken Not Stirred

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HeyBoy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyBoy/gifts).



> This is inspired by the fabulous art by HeyBoy

Bucky stared at the beautiful blonde creature standing beside him. He should have seen this coming. It had all been too perfect. He didn’t see the warning signs that had been glaring him right in the face. If he had he wouldn’t have been stuck in this situation.

He was currently shackled to a metal chair. One of Rumlow’s goons was keeping watch. Steve was standing beside him pacing back and forth. He was probably waiting to hear back whether or not he’d done a good enough job tricking playing Bucky like a fiddle. He had. Bucky had eaten right out of the palm of Steve’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” Steve muttered, eyeing the guard, who was watching them closely. “I didn’t want it to come to this.”

Bucky bit his lip angrily, shaking his head. “How many others have you used that exact same line on?”

Steve looked genuinely taken aback by that. Maybe he wasn’t as experienced at this as he thought. If that was the case, Bucky had really fucked up. He’d let some novice catch him off guard. That was a great way to ensure he’d never work for the CIA again.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” Steve said in a hushed tone. “No one was supposed to get hurt.”

“I don’t think your boss, or boyfriend, or whatever sees it that way,” Bucky sneered. This was all Rumlow’s doing and Steve executed the plan perfectly. What was he expecting?

Steve frowned. “It really wasn’t like that. I was just supposed to get close to you and see if you were really loyal to him. I didn’t know that you were a spy--”

“But you had no problem reporting that back to him, did you?” Bucky cut him off.

Steve made a face. “I didn’t… I mean… not exactly. There was a video recorder in your room--”

“There wasn’t, I checked,” Bucky said, not interested in what Steve had to say.

“Actually… I may have planted one,” Steve said, his voice was so low it was barely audible.

“How is that not the same thing as reporting back to him?” Bucky snapped. He wasn’t sure what Steve’s game was here, but he wasn’t about to start trusting him again. Fool him once…

Steve shook his head. “I really didn’t think--”

Steve was cut off by the door opening. Brock Rumlow, the scum that he was, sauntered into the room. Steve froze watching him carefully. It was as if he was studying him, like he wasn’t quite sure what his partner was going to do next.

Rumlow motioned for Steve to come stand by him. The man paused. He glanced back at Bucky for a moment before he slowly made his way over to Rumlow. 

“Nice work, Steve,” Rumlow said, snaking an arm around Steve’s waist. He placed a kiss to Steve’s cheek, and Steve smiled. However, his smile didn’t quite meet his eyes; in fact, he looked a bit disgusted by the whole thing.

Bucky shook that thought out of his head. Steve wasn’t his problem. The man had gotten Bucky into enough trouble as it was, the last thing he needed was to get sucked in by him again.

He should’ve known the second that he saw Steve on the beach. He was already undercover, and had seemingly been successful in infiltrating Rumlow’s close circle. He just needed to get enough dirt on him so that they could prosecute or put an end to the entire operation… whichever he got access to first. 

He was on the beach after having a meeting with one of Rumlow’s lieutenants. He had a feeling that they were keeping an eye on him, so he was trying to do typical tourist things, like going to the beach and sightseeing. He didn’t want to draw any extra attention to himself. 

That didn’t seem to be a problem for the blonde beauty that was coming out of the ocean. He was wearing tight white swim trunks--if you could really even call them that--that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. His body was perfectly chiseled, if Bucky didn’t know any better he would have thought that someone had sculpted him that way. 

Bucky felt his jaw go slack. The man was gorgeous. He looked like he belonged in the Sistine Chapel. What the hell was he doing on Rumlow’s private island? Well technically, it was Rumlow’s boss’s private island. The whole point was to try and see if he could find who was actually the one running the whole terrorist organization. Rumlow was a key player, that much was certain, but he wasn’t the top dog.

The man was walking up the beach, and Bucky found himself staring. So much for subtlety. Still, everything on the island was the way Rumlow wanted it. This man probably wasn’t some tourist but rather some sort of a key player in all this.

_Shit_! Bucky had made eye contact. The only thing that he could think to do was look away and act like he had some sun in his eye. Although, the guy couldn’t have been too surprised that he caught his attention. Half the beach was watching him; he was a sight to see.

Bucky snuck another glance and saw that the man was making a b-line right to him. This was not good. For all he knew this guy was some meathead who’d give him a hard time for looking in his direction. That didn’t exactly bode well for Bucky’s plan to fly under the radar.

“You’re James, right?” He asked as he got within speaking distance. He didn’t sound angry; if anything, he seemed amused.

Bucky nodded. “Guilty as charged. Though, I’m not used to people I’ve never met knowing that detail.”

“Sorry about that,” he said squinting against the sunlight. “Brock’s told me a bit about you. There aren’t too many unfamiliar faces around here so I figured I’d take a shot in the dark.”

“Rumlow mentioned me?” Bucky asked, suddenly much more interested in this conversation opposed to the man’s physique. No one was allowed to refer to Rumlow by his first name. He’d never heard of this guy, he wasn’t in any of his background files and this was his first time seeing him since he’d arrived. He must’ve been important if Brock was telling him about new comers, and they were on a first name basis.

“All good things I hope,” Bucky said cautiously. He wasn’t entirely certain of what he was dealing with yet.

The adonis shrugged. “Just that he was pretty impressed with what he’s seen so far.”

Bucky eyed him uncertainly and just nodded. He wasn’t sure what the play was here. “Good to know.”

“Oh god,” He laughed clutching his chest for a moment. “Please don’t think--I’m not like checking up on you. I just meant that you’ve come up in casual conversation. I’m not--I don’t work for Brock. I just meant… sometimes he tells me about his day over some pillowtalk.”

Bucky paused. This was Rumlow’s flavor of the week. Damn. At least one good thing that could be said about Rumlow was that he had good taste. “I take it you’re Steve.”

The man stared at him for a second looking bewildered. Shit. Did Rumlow have more than one bedmate here? Had he just referenced the wrong person?

“I’m really bad with names--”

The man broke into a grin. “Yeah, it’s Steve. Imagine if I wasn’t, though.”

This might have been worse than Steve being sent to spy on him. If he wasn’t mistaken, Steve was _flirting_. Rumlow’s bedmate was flirting with him. That could certainly be a complication, but it also could work out in his favor if he played his cards right. Who knew what else Rumlow and Steve discussed over pillowtalk. He might have more information than Bucky had originally anticipated.

“I’m not exactly looking for trouble here,” Bucky lied as Steve took a seat next to him in the sand. “The last thing I need is for Rumlow to get on my case because I called you by the wrong name.”

Steve laughed playfully. “Please, Brock couldn’t care less what you or anyone else calls me.”

This might be a bit easier than Bucky thought. Clearly there was a little bit of trouble in paradise for the happy couple. It couldn’t be too difficult to get Steve away and pump him for information. He was already eager just for someone new to talk to. He couldn’t wrap his head around why someone who looked like Steve was involved with all this. He could be a goddamn model if he wanted to, yet for some reason he was bedmates with one of the heads of an elusive terrorism ring. Maybe he just wasn’t the patriotic type.

“Anything I should know before I get too comfortable here?” Bucky asked, looking around to see if anyone was paying them any mind. They didn’t seem to care. Rumlow must have given Steve a long leash. He honestly pictured him for the jealous type.

“You want my advice?” Steve asked with an amused expression on his face. 

“I’d appreciate all the help I can get. Being the new guy doesn’t really have its perks,” Bucky said with a smile.

Steve grinned back as he leaned over to Bucky and whispered in his ear. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

Bucky let out a fake laugh and hoped he sold it. Steve seemed to buy it. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“What are you doing working for Brock?” Steve asked, wiggling his toes in the sand. “Did he give you any special assignments yet?”

He shook his head. “Just errands mostly. Pick this up from here… drop that off over there… nothing too exciting yet.”

Steve pouted--actually pouted at that. “That sounds rough.”

“Nah,” Bucky said, waving dismissively at him. “I’m happy to do my part… whatever that entails. Besides, errands aren’t so bad. Someone’s gotta do it.”

“I doubt you came all the way out here to run errands,” Steve said as he leaned back, his arms stretching back to support himself.

Bucky laughed. Again, he hoped he came off convincing. “Yeah, well I can’t exactly complain. This place is incredible. When I’m not running errands I get to hang here. A guy can’t ask for much more than that.”

Steve hummed to himself. “I don’t know, I mean… are you really content to just leave your life behind for some cause that you believe in, only to find out that you left everything behind to be a glorified errand boy.”

That sounded like it had more to do with Steve than it did with Bucky. He made a mental note and tried to move on. “Every war needs foot soldiers, they’re an essential part of the process. I’m not going to kid myself into thinking that I’m above that.”

Steve let out a low whistle. “You’re a real believer. You think Hydra is gonna fix everyone’s problems--”

“You don’t?” Bucky questioned. “You’re here too, no?”

“I’m not running errands,” Steve said with an amused smile. 

Bucky laughed. “All right, but someone’s got to right? Why not me? Unless you think that little of the cause.”

Steve kicked some sand in his direction playfully and shook his head. “When you’ve been here as long as I have, you can lose sight of the prize. It’s hard to see the forest for the trees when all you get to see is the beach and the bedroom.”

Huh. Maybe Rumlow’s leash wasn’t as long as Bucky thought it was. Maybe letting Steve wander about the beach was his way of showing off. Look what I’ve got that you don’t. It must have been working.

“No special assignments?” Bucky pressed.

Steve snorted. “I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, James. My job _is_ a special assignment.”

“And that is… what, exactly?” Bucky asked, trying to come off as a tease rather than pushy.

“Above your paygrade, James,” Steve said as he slowly stood up from the sand. He glanced over her shoulder and gave a tired sigh. “I’ve gotta run or Brock will start wondering where I am. It was nice meeting you, James.”

“Likewise,” Bucky said, pretending to seem uninterested as Steve walked away. He figured out his first angle with ease. He had to get close to Steve, and get him to open up more. Who knew what Rumlow might have shared with him?

Over the coming weeks, getting close to Steve was easy. In hindsight, it was probably way too easy, but Bucky had a thing for strays. This poor beautiful deity being confined to this place with someone who hardly paid him any mind. Something told him that there was more going on there beneath the surface, and he thought that Steve was less content being there than he had been letting on.

Getting to talk to Steve was easy. He was almost constantly at the beach. Whenever Steve would see Bucky he’d come right over and have a similar conversation to the first one. Each time that Bucky thought he was getting close to getting Steve to reveal something, Steve would have to leave abruptly. Getting Steve to open up may not have been as easy as he was hoping it to be but it was his only real lead. He was too new for any of the other guys under Rumlow’s command to open up or share anything. Rumlow himself had barely uttered two words to him, so that was a dead end. He had hoped that he and Rumlow would have established a better rapport by this point, however he was constantly in meetings. It was impossible to get the man alone for a minute, nevermind forge a friendship.

“How long have you been here, with Rumlow and the others I mean?” Bucky asked him one day. “Not like on the island.”

Steve shrugged. He was laying face down on a towel, tanning himself. “I don’t know. Four--five years or so now.”

“I’m surprised Rumlow hasn’t put a ring on it yet,” Bucky teased.

Steve tensed at that. He sat up and looked at him, his face red. “Who says he hasn’t tried to?”

“Hey, hey,” Bucky put his hands up defensively. “I wasn’t trying to start anything. I was just messing around.”

“That’s a pretty personal question, James. I haven’t asked you why you’re not married,” Steve pointed out.

“Who says I’m not?”

“You left your entire life behind to be an errand boy for Brock,” Steve spat. “That doesn’t exactly sound like a committed relationship.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Bucky said, trying to calm Steve down. Clearly he had touched a nerve. “I didn’t realize it was a sore subject.”

Steve shook his head, he was clearly frustrated. “It’s not what you think. We’ve talked about it but… what Brock and I have…” he stopped clearly trying to think of the right thing to say. “Calling it a marriage would be a mockery to that entire institution. Anyone who thinks otherwise is crazy.”

“You two just seem so happy,” Bucky lied. “I just figured that was the natural next step.”

Steve laughed bitterly at that. “Does Brock really strike you as _‘happy’_?”

Bucky shrugged. “I guess looks can be deceiving.”

“Our relationship is purely physical--”

“You left everything behind to live on a deserted island with him,” Bucky said, trying to keep his voice even. “I thought that was what commitment looks like. I guess I was wrong.”

“Let’s just say it’s not that black and white. The people who come to Brock are either devoted to the cause or they got no place else to go. It’s better than being out on the streets right?” Steve stood up, and began shaking his towel out. “I’ve gotta run. The last thing I need is for him to come looking for me.”

“I really didn’t mean to upset you,” Bucky called over his shoulder to Steve. “Honest.”

Steve gave him a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, James.”

After that incident things changed for the better between Bucky and Steve. Steve seemed to let his guard down a bit more, and was much less combative when they got closer to more sensitive topics. The more Bucky learned about the situation the more sure he was that Steve was as much a victim as those in Rumlow’s path of destruction. He just needed to find out who the head of the Hydra was so that he could get out of there and hopefully get Steve out too.

One evening the two of them were walking down by the beach. The sun had begun to set and Rumlow was away planning something off the island. As a result, Steve was in a particularly good mood. He was laughing at all of Bucky’s terrible, unenthusiastic jokes. He was affectionate, touching his arms, playfully bumping into him. Bucky was beginning to feel uneasy. Sure, Rumlow wasn’t around, but the rest of the men were. There was nothing stopping them from reporting this back to Rumlow when he returned.

Steve must have sensed this and laughed. “Let them look. It’s not like none of them have tried anything with me.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Rumlow doesn’t care?”

Steve shook his head, and his face contorted into a disgusted expression. He gave a bitter laugh. “So long as I’m available to him when he wants… he couldn’t care less. Not that much of anything has happened with any of these… lackeys. That doesn’t mean that they haven’t tried.”

“Then why does he restrict you to the beach and the room?” Bucky asked. “I figured he was the jealous type.”

Steve gave another laugh. This one seemed more amused than bitter. “I think he just likes to have some control. Honestly, he can’t really stop me from going somewhere else. None of his men are allowed to use force against me… he doesn’t like anyone to damage what’s his.”

“Wow that’s rough--”

“Let’s get out of here,” Steve said, glancing around.

Bucky blinked at him. That had taken a turn. “And… go where… exactly?”

Steve shrugged and began looking around again. “I don’t know. You’ve gotta be staying somewhere, right?”

Bucky froze. As tempting as the offer was, he was almost certain that if this got back to Rumlow then he’d be a dead man walking, regardless of what Steve said about him ‘not caring.’ On the other hand this could get him an opportunity to get information out of Steve… and as much as he hated to admit it, he had developed a soft spot for the guy. The idea of getting some actual alone time with him wasn’t exactly unappealing.

Steve let out an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry, I guess that was… inappropriate of me. I forgot. You’re a loyal foot soldier. You’re not gonna fool around behind Brock’s back. It was a stupid suggest--”

“Let’s get out of here,” Bucky interrupted him.

Steve’s face relaxed. “O--okay! Great. I thought I scared you off for a moment there.”

Bucky shook his head. “No, no, nothing like that. You just caught me off guard for a second there.”

Steve grinned at him. “Lead the way?”

When they arrived at Bucky’s small condo, Steve looked around while Bucky did his best to tidy up quickly. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting company.”

Steve gave him a sweet smile. “It’s okay. You should see what Brock’s room looks like.”

Bucky stopped for a second. This was risky. Rumlow was the target here. Getting involved with his… whatever Steve was to him was probably not the smartest move.

“Sorry,” Steve said quickly. “No more talking about… you know who. This isn’t about him. It’s about you and me, right?”

Bucky nodded. “Right.”

Steve walked over to Bucky and kissed him sweetly. Any reservations that Bucky had went right out the window. He kissed Steve back, deepening the kiss. Steve draped his arms around Bucky’s neck, pulling him closer to him. Bucky rested his hands on Steve’s waist, mostly just to keep his balance rather than anything else.

Steve lightly pushed Bucky back, leading him towards the bed. Fortunately, they were both in their swim trunks so they didn’t need to worry too much about clothes. Bucky was sitting on the edge of the bed. Steve was standing over him, kissing him passionately. 

Bucky scooted back on the bed, Steve following him. Steve was looming above him. His legs were on either side of Bucky’s. His mouth moved over to Bucky’s neck and began kissing a trail down his torso. When Steve made it to his swim trunks, he looked up and gave Bucky a devilish look. He took the waistband of the trunks with his teeth and gingerly removed them from Bucky’s body. 

Steve paused and quickly took off his own swim trunks… they were practically painted on as it was. He tossed them next to where Bucky’s now lie, in a pile on the floor. Steve brought his attention back to Bucky, who was hardly able to properly appreciate the magnificent being in front of him.

Steve crawled across the bed, meeting Bucky’s lips with his own. Bucky gently repositioned them so that he was now the one leaning over Steve. He peppered kisses to his neck and torso, stopping when he noticed bruising.

Steve propped himself up on his elbows. “Why’d you stop?”

“Gotta get protection,” Bucky lied. He wasn’t sure why he was so surprised to see the bruising. There was no secret that Steve and Rumlow had a volatile sex life, rough intercourse was probably par for the course for them. He really hoped that wasn’t what Steve was expecting with him. It just wasn’t his style.

Bucky pulled a condom and lubricant out of his bedside table. He went back to Steve and positioned himself in between his legs. He pressed sweet kisses to his inner thighs as he slowly inserted a lubed up finger inside of him.

Steve let out a low hiss but didn’t say anything. He had his left arm covering his eyes as he bit his lip.

“Steve, you okay?” Bucky asked, retreating his finger and looking at him attentively.

Steve nodded. “Sorry, just a little sore.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Bucky asked. “I won’t be upset if--”

“For the love of god, James! Trust me. I’m fine and I know what I want. What I want right now is you. Stop being a tease… please,” Steve groaned.

Bucky laughed to himself and nodded. He continued his movements, adding a second finger after a few moments. Steve didn’t let out any sign that he was uncomfortable so he continued, watching the other man closely. He added another finger and stretched until Steve was properly prepared.

Bucky put on the condom and slicked himself up with the lube. He slowly entered Steve, watching the man’s face closely. The last thing that he wanted was to make Steve uncomfortable. Steve beamed up at him, not showing any signs of discomfort. He let out a low moan as he arched up closer to Bucky, capturing his lips.

Bucky grinned as he kissed him back before he began moving in and out of Steve gently. Steve gripped onto him tight, meeting him with each and every thrust. Steve’s forearm was behind Bucky’s neck, pushing him closer and closer. Steve looked up at him with awe in his eyes. How long had it been since some had treated him delicately?

Bucky continued his motions speeding up just a bit. Steve arched his neck back, a few strands of hairs dancing on to the pillowcase beneath him. “Oh my god, James!”

Bucky kissed Steve’s neck sweetly as he felt himself getting close. His thrusts became less and less coordinated. Steve must have sensed that he was nearing arrival, because he began stroking his own cock in tandem with Bucky’s thrusts.

Within minutes they were both emptying themselves and collapsing into a heap of limbs on the bed. Bucky glanced over at Steve. His eyes were red and puffy. 

“You okay?”

Steve looked back and smiled. It was a real genuine smile. “Yeah… that was… I can’t remember the last time… I enjoyed it that much.”

Bucky frowned. That was hardly his best performance, he was too nervous that he was gonna hurt him that he’d be gentle and well… unimaginative. All in all it was a pretty average performance on his part. Steve was amazing… but that was hardly Bucky’s best display.

“Trying to stroke my ego?” Bucky teased.

Steve shook his head. “Why? You already slept with me.”

Bucky looked at him sadly and sighed. “Steve, I need you to tell me about Rumlow.”

Steve sat up and gave him a look. “What? I told you I don’t want to talk about Brock.”

“Is he hurting you?”

Steve laughed. “Oh god, don’t tell me you’re some white knight--”

“I’m serious, Steve,” Bucky said. “The only reason that I’m asking is… I can help.”

Steve’s eyes widened. “What does that mean? I don’t even want to know, I just-- why are we still talking about Brock--”

“If you tell me who he’s working for I can get you out of here--”

“James, what the hell are you talking about--”

“I’m CIA--”

“Stop talking!” Steve shouted, standing up from the bed. “Fuck! Fuck! James, you’re joking, right? You’re just saying what you think I want to hear, right? I don’t need someone to save me. I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Bucky shook his head. “It’s not a joke--”

“James,” Steve said, barely audible. “Tell me this isn’t true--”

Bucky looked at him bewildered. “Why are you so upset about this? I know you don’t give a damn about Rumlow--”

“I can’t help you!” Steve hastily put on his swim trunks, he wouldn’t even look at Bucky. “James, I’m sorry but I can’t--”

No. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. Steve couldn’t leave. If he left, then he would tell Rumlow or one of his men that meant that Bucky would be a dead man walking.

Steve wasted no time and practically raced out the door. Trying to get a handle on the situation Bucky tried to run after him, but the second he stepped outside the door, there was darkness. The next thing he remembered was waking up shackled to a chair with Steve standing next to him.

He glared up at the pair of them, Steve and Rumlow. They played a good game, Bucky should have known better than to fall for him. The signs were so obvious. How could he have been so foolish?

“I gotta hand it to you, Barnes,” Rumlow said as he stepped towards him, moving Steve with him. “You had me going there.”

Bucky gave him a sarcastic smirk. “What can I say?”

“You probably would have gotten away with it too if you hadn’t tried to rescue the damsel in distress,” Rumlow laughed, turning to Steve. “I have to say, you really outdid yourself this time.”

Bucky wasn’t paying attention to what was going between the two of them. He was too busy trying to get out of the shackles.

“What are you gonna tell Pierce, Brock?” Steve said, and Bucky saw him sneak a peak at him from the corner of his eye. “I’m sure the secretary won’t be happy to hear how close the CIA got to blowing the lid off his operation.”

That caught his attention. Secretary Pierce. The secretary of defense was the head of the Hydra. That threw him for a loop.

Brock gave him a look. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got the situation under control. I’ll meet you back home.”

Steve nodded, stealing one last look at Bucky before he walked out of the room. He wasn’t expecting that. Steve gave him the answer. Why had he done that? Was it some sick game because he was probably going to die here? Still, it didn’t seem as though Steve had told him as a means of taunting him.

Brock walked over to the corner of the room and came back with a hot iron. Fuck! This was not going to end well. 

“You’re going to tell me, exactly what you told the CIA,” Rumlow said, getting closer to him. Just as he was about to strike him with it, Bucky stood up, still tied to the chair, and swung it around, hitting Rumlow.

Suddenly all he could feel was white hot pain as the chair toppled over onto the ground. When he landed, his left arm had fallen straight onto the hot iron. It was a piercing pain that shot through his entire body. The one good thing was that he’d knocked Rumlow hard enough that he fell back; he was knocked unconscious when he made contact with the wall. 

The door opened and Bucky was almost certain that it was more of Rumlow’s goons coming to finish the job. To his surprise, it was Steve. Steve looked shocked as he raced over to Bucky. He lifted him up so that he was sitting upright in the chair. He ran over to Rumlow and went through his pockets.

He came back over and waved the key in front of his face. “I got it.” He went behind Bucky and unlocked the shackles. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll live,” Bucky said, getting up from the chair. “We gotta go.”

Steve frowned. “I can’t.”

“What--”

“I can’t explain. I just--I can’t leave until you take down Hydra. Go!” Steve said, motioning to the door.

Bucky didn’t need to be told twice. He ran out the door and away from Steve.

The damage to his arm was extensive, but the hope was with surgery and physical therapy he might be able to get full use of it again in the long term. It turned out that Steve’s intel was good. The CIA was able to link Pierce to Hydra with ease once they knew where to look.

He hadn’t heard from or about Steve, and he hadn’t asked. That is until he had an unexpected visitor at his office one day. Actually, it was two visitors. The first was unexpected. Steve standing outside his office door. He was wearing a button down shirt and a tie with some slacks. It was probably the first time he saw him with proper clothing on. The other was a man that he’d never seen before and he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing there.

“Hi,” Bucky said awkwardly.

“I owe you an explanation,” Steve said.

Bucky shook his head. “I’m pretty sure I owe you my life. I guess that makes us even.”

“Can I please just explain?” Steve asked softly.

Bucky nodded. “Yeah, come on in.”

Steve and the other man stepped inside the office. Bucky motioned for them to sit in the two chairs across from his desk. “Make yourselves comfortable.”

They both exchanged a glance before taking their seats. “You look well,” Steve said, motioning to his arm. “I was worried you were gonna lose it.”

Bucky shrugged. “It’s getting there. Look, what is this about? Because I don’t--”

“This is Sam,” Steve motioned to the man sitting beside him. “He’s my… well, he was my partner before… all this… romantic partner, I mean.”

“Okay,” Bucky said. “I don’t understand--”

“He was in the air force and he came across something he wasn’t supposed to see. He got shot down, but was able to survive thanks to his chute… he was held captive by Hydra for seven years. The reason I was… with Rumlow was to try and get information on where Sam was. The goal was to do what you did. Infiltrate Hydra from the ground up, but Brock had different ideas and I figured he was my best shot at finding Sam,” Steve said looking at his shoes. “I’m not proud of a lot of things that I did, but I know if the roles were reversed, Sam would have done the same.”

Bucky sighed. “It was really nice of you two to come down here, but we both did things we shouldn’t have, you don’t owe me an explain--”

“I didn’t lie. I mean… I did, but the feelings… they were real… they _are_ real,” Steve said slowly.

“Look, man,” Sam piped up. “Steve and I discussed it. We both think you’re a standup guy and… who knows where either of us would be right now if it wasn’t for you.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand--”

“We want to ask you out,” Steve said abruptly. “I know it’s… not typical and new… but Sam and I are practically starting over as it is. We were hoping that maybe you’d want to try and be a part of that with us.”

Bucky looked between the two of them. Not only would it be unethical for him to take them up on their offer, but he wasn’t even sure if he could trust Steve after everything. Still, Steve had saved his life and given him the information about Pierce. Besides, he really had grown to care for the other man. 

Bucky took another moment. He nodded. “Yeah… I… I think I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Huge shout out to my phenomenal beta [Anne](https://melsmalone.tumblr.com)


End file.
